How long before my taste buds recover after H&N treatments?

What are the strategies to speed up the taste regaining? I finished mine a week ago after 33 sessions. But I had/have no tube as I've fought to keep my weight not to reduced more than 4kg. My second question, do you thing if i continue to force myself in eating would speed up the taste regaining?

One note, usually others mentioned that they have very dry mouth. I have some dryness but not fully. But the problem, I don't want to drink even water. There is a stupid taste in my mouth.

I was diagnosed squamous cell cancer at the base of my tongue. It had spread into the lymph node on the right side of my neck. I completed 7 weeks of radiation (35 sessions) on May 5th. I also had weekly chemo. The 3 weeks after the completion were absolutely the hardest days of the whole ordeal. I did not have a feeding tube. I lived mostly off of Boost extra high calorie mixed with carnation high protein instant breakfast.
It has now been 4 months and i have greatly improved. I am eating solid food in small biters and washing it down with water. As far as taste goes, I taste but it is certainly different than before treatment. Saltiness is an issue.
I can say every month is better with highs and lows. I was told another 4 months and i will be much improved.

I would ask you the same question after almost a year. How long it took from you to taste again. I finished mine a week ago after 33 sessions. But I had/have no tube as I've fought to keep my weight not to reduced more than 4kg. My second question, do you thing if i continue to force myself in eating would speed up the taste regaining?

For me it was a very slow process. It gradually improved after about 2 months after treatment. I am now one year out from treatment and it is much better but still not great.

@robholdenried,
My 7 weeks of radiation was aimed at an area just below my ear due to ear location of primary cancer. I still had ulceration and pain in my mouth, on my tongue especially. No feeding tube. It took several weeks beyond the end of radiation to notice a slight improvement in taste. The return was very slow and gradual. Even 11 years later, I am still overly sensitive to saltiness and I don't expect that to change. As others have said, your taste may never be exactly what it was. But I would say that it is very livable as it is today. Just be patient and enjoy it when a food starts to taste like it "should". Since your tongue was the radiation target, I might expect a slower response due to more radiation damage. Good luck to you and may your healing be quick and you remain cancer free.

Hi @robholdenried, I moved your question to this similar discussion that @calenbd, started
- How long before my taste buds recover after H&N treatments? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/taste-bud-recovery/

I did this so you can get tips from previous posts and connect with helpful members.

You might also be interested in these related discussions:
– When will food taste good again after chemo and radiation? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trying-to-get-food-into-husband-after-chemo-and-radiation/
– Eating during cancer care https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/eating-during-cancer-care/

Do you know when the feeding tube will be removed?

Hi @robholdenried. My experience and from what others have commented is it can take from a few weeks to a few months to get your taste back. Even then it may not be what it once was. In some cases it is sparse and other cases your taste can become enhanced. I would give it at least two weeks before any taste at all returns, salty is usually the first one. Can you swallow at all with the feeding tube such as sweet soda (7-up)? If so it is good to exercise the swallowing and you can try out your taste buds on broth or milkshakes.

Any ideas on how to accelerate the return of your taste buds after completing radiation treatments? Just finished my 7 weeks for squamous cell with the primary in the base of my tongue that had spread to my lymph nodes. Had the surgical removal before I started chemo and radiation.
Eager to get off my feeding tube and return to normal eating.

My husband went through this last year. About 4 month after treatment ended, his taste was starting to come back. It was a little more than 6 months after treatment that he felt his taste was back. Some tings taste different than before treatment.

I remember when I was being irradiated in 1976. I was drinking a lot of Coca-Cola in the hospital and another patient told me that I would never want to drink Coke again. That prophecy was correct. Coke has lost that wonderful refreshing taste and it just doesn’t work well in a mouth that lacks saliva. It leaves behind a nasty film that gums up my teeth and tongue. (For some reason Dr Pepper doesn’t cause the same problem.) I was eventually able to drink orange juice again. Most other foods were back to tasting normal within a month after radiation treatments ended, I think.

You might not know that you “forget” how to chew and swallow food while you are on the feeding tube. You will have to relearn that. Speech-language pathologists can help with that. SLPs really know their stuff. You will probably bite your tongue a few times before your mouth learns how to chew correctly again. I guess that’s one reason to keep trying to eat even if food tastes like cardboard. Your mouth really does need practice and exercise.